Alan Barrett is the Director of Research and Consulting for HIgby Barrett LLC. He is an accomplished commodity economist with more than 25 years of experience in futures and cash markets with a focus on cotton, commodity projects, non-traditional agricultural products, transportation and supply chain studies. Alan spent six years as a commodity futures broker. His expertise encompasses feasibility studies of oilseed crushing plants (soybean canola, and cottonseed), grain elevators, export elevators, shuttle elevators, grain container operations, flourmills and other processing facilities. Alan also has conducted transportation supply chain studies for grains, oilseeds, fertilizer, coal, natural gas, crude oil, and petroleum products. Alan has considerable experience in non-traditional agricultural products such as coal, coke, natural gas, chemicals, hydraulic fracturing fluid, hydraulic fracturing proppants, glycerin, fertilizer, micronutrients, salt, limestone, cement, iron ore, pig iron, and steel, especially feed ingredients. Mr. Barrett has a BS and MS in Agricultural Economics from the University of Tennessee.
Brazil’s Minimum Freight Rates May be Ruled Unconstitutional
A possible truckers’ strike in Brazil could potentially affect the U.S. soy industry.
Pakistan Imports Increase 420%
“Pakistan is among the top 21 markets for U.S. food and agricultural products in 2018,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural…
Barge Industry Consolidation
Barge industry consolidation will affect the U.S. soy industry in 2020.
Minimum Freight Rates Increasing 11% to 15%
One of the most provocative items in determining the minimum freight rate (MFRT) was the fact that it must provide a “livable just wage” for…
Paving of BR-163 Improves Brazil Northern Arc Ports
Improvements to Brazilian infrastructure could potentially affect the U.S. soy industry.
Truck Rates Increasing After Long Fall
Truck capacity is booked either by spot market or through a contract rate. The spot rate is the market rate, while the contract rate is…
Ocean Freight Rates at Nine Month Low
Due to Asia’s extremely long distance from the U.S., ocean freight rates play a major role in the price a farmer ultimately receives. Over the…
U.S. Rivers and Ports Receive Large Increase in Funding
The Gulf of Mexico and coastal ports are the ultimate location for U.S. imports and exports, and so those locations will consume dredging dollars reserved…
Olmsted Lock and Dam Plans Proceeding
Well-functioning waterways are crucial to U.S. infrastructure and the timely, reliable delivery of U.S. soybeans. For the Olmsted Lock and Dam project, the next steps…
Rail Raised Tariffs
The theory often floated by opponents of investing in the Inland Mississippi River System is that barge volume can easily be shifted to rail. In…